PeaZip offers
read-only support (open and extract cab files) for Microsoft Cabinet
file format, providing a free
alternative utility to open
(list content) and extract .cab packages, or disassemble single files
from the container, under Windows
and Linux operating systems. The software can also be used to convert
CAB files to any other write-supported
format (i.e. re-pack existing Cabinet file into zip, 7z, etc).
Create
/ update CAB files
PeaZip support
for CAB files is read-only (limited to work as cab viewer /
reader and extractor), the
application cannot write
to .cab format to create a new package or to edit an existing one.
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How
to convert CAB files
To convert CAB files into
another archive format, Convert button
extracts and then re-pack the output into any write-supported
format (7z, arc, pea, tar, zip...)
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Open CAB
files
To
open
cab files in PeaZip, and view, browse, and search
content inside the archive:
- open cab
file with double click on the archive, if file
extension is associated with the PeaZip (default)
- if cab file
type is not associated with
PeaZip, right-click on the archive and use system
context menu "Open as archive" entry,
that
will attempt to read any user provided file type regardless file
associations. Once opened, cab container's content can be "unzipped",
or inspected to verify / select desired content to be extracted
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Extract CAB
files
Extract CAB file from the system
-
Select
one
or more MS CABINET files
and
use context menu entry "Extract..."
to display
extraction screen, to set
output path and other cab extraction options
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Select
one or more archives and use
context
menu
entry Extract here or Extract
here (to new folder) for quick cab extraction with no further
confirmation
To extract CAB files within PeaZip free archiver
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Extract button shows
archive
extraction screen providing access to all options and can send to
extraction selected items only
-
Extract
all to... button activate a
simplified
dialog asking for 'unzip' output path only
- As simpler alternative, drag & drop
to decompress desired objects
from
the
application to the system
Previw files
inside CAD containers
Doubleclick on an archived file to
open
it in
preview
mode, i.e. to inspect its content before considering the need for real
extraction
Read more about how to
extract archive files and how to extract
selected content from archive.
Work with
codesigned CAB
files
PeaZip can manage codesigned CAB files as usual (browse and extract);
when working on such containers Test function will inform user there is
data (the
codesigning data) after the end of the archive area.
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CAB file extension
CAB extension designates Microsoft
Cabinet
format,
a compressed archive / package standard developed by Microsoft,
employing various
compression algorithms standards including public domain Phil Katz's
Deflate (default compressor algorithm for .zip format and GZ files), to create
various types
of compressed
packages used for multiple purposes, such as distribution of software
components and updates.
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.CAB extension
is associated to PeaZip by
default, from read-supported
formats
group in File
associations screen of Windows installers. This option can be
selected/deselected running
custom installation or from application's main menu Options
> System integration
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CAB packages role featured for Microsoft Windows world is similar to
some
extent to TAR format in Unix/Linux
world, or to functions later performed by Microsoft's WIM Windows
Imaging Format (supported by PeaZip for extraction and
archiving) for Vista and more recent systems - still, CAB format works
with more recent Microsoft ssystems.
Maximum size
limit
specs for CAB files
CAB format is limited
to a max size of 2 GB, 2^31 bytes in size (signed 32 bit integer for
filesize), theoretically a spanned CAB set of files allows up to 2^16
parts of 2 GB maximum size each. To overcome limitations of CAB package
format specifications, Microsoft designed the more modern WIM Windows
Imaging format.
Read more on
.cab extension: Microsoft
Cabinet
format page on
MSDN, CAB Wikipedia
page, and WIM format
specifications on
Microsoft Technet.
PeaZip features read-only
support for
CAB files, allowing opening for browsing/inspection, selective
content extraction from CABINET file container, and to convert cab
files to other archive formats (ZIP, 7Z, etc) more handy to work
with in a non-Windows or mixed Operating Systems environment.
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.CAB
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Author
Microsoft
2 GB max file size (per part)
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SPEED 
CAB format features usually high speed, due commonly employing Deflate,
suited to its primary
role of package distribution.
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COMPRESSION
RATIO 
Cab file format features usually moderate compression ratio, in most
common cases CAB packages comes with fast but
moderate Deflate compression. |
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ADVANCED
OPTIONS N/A
CAB file type is usually employed as distribution for software
packages, cannot
be evaluated in terms of pure archiving options.
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Synopsis: How to use
PeaZip as free CAB opener, extractor software for Windows and Linux.
Free utility to work with CAB format extraction (read only support).
How to convert, open, extract (unzip) CAB files. What is Microsoft CAB
package files extension, specs and features.
Topics: open cab files,
extract content from cab packages, Microsoft Cabinet format specs
PeaZip > FAQ
> Free CAB software: convert, open, extract CAB files
 WORK WITH
SUPPORTED
FILE TYPES
Create, open, extract 7Z files
Open and extract ACE files
Create, open, extract ARC files
Create, open, extract Brotli files
Compress, decompress Bzip2 files
Open and extract CAB files
Compress, decompress GZip files
Open and extract DMG, ISO, UDF disk images
Create, open, extract PAQ, LPAQ, ZPAQ files
PEA: Pack Encrypt Authenticate
Open
and extract RAR files
Create, open, extract
TAR, TGZ, TBZ files
Create, open, extract WIM disk images
Create, open, extract ZIP files
Create, open, extract ZIPX files
Create, open, extract
Zstandard files
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